Baby’s Firsts: Documenting Your Child’s First Year

As new parents we want to document every wondrous thing our child does; nothing is inconsequential. By the time our second child is born, we’re a whole lot looser about what we think is camera worthy. First steps? Check. First haircut? Eh, been there done that.

We love all of our children equally (of course!), but as they grow up and get curious about their baby pictures and firsts, they’re likely to notice that their older sibling has a much thicker baby book than they do. My younger sister certainly noticed it when we found our baby books in the attic and she had five pages to my 20 (not a fun conversation for mom, I’ll tell you.)

Each one of our children deserves to have their own, one-of-a-kind memory book documenting their first year and more. It’ll also be fun snapping and combing back over the pictures as you decide which is best for what page with which speech bubble or other embellishment. Not sure where to start? Just continue reading and you’ll find your way.

The First Page

The very first page of the scrapbook should include the first sonogram picture. This is will be the single most important image of your child until you are able to actually hold them in your arms and take your first family snapshot together. To make it even more personal, you can attach a hand-written note to your child detailing what you were feeling when you first saw their image in the screen. You can share with them the different nicknames you and your partner called the baby at his different life stages, and even the names that almost became his name.

The Second Page

The second page should include your child’s birth announcement with information about the infant’s weight, height, hair, name and birthdate. As an embellishment, some mothers like to have their hospital bracelet placed next to the child’s original hospital birth information card.

The Third Page

By this point, you should be feeling more comfortable with scrap booking. You already have a couple of pages under your belt, and as your child is growing, you’re learning more and more about their personality.

After the first couple introductory pages, now is your time to start including snapshots of baby’s first experiences. What’s fun about this page and the pages that’ll follow is the unlimited amount of laughter that is going to ensue. How did baby react when he took his first sip of juice? What did baby do when he first met daddy’s twin brother? Each reaction to a new experience will unlock a treasure trove of emotional faces in a matter of seconds. The baby might go from a trembling lower lip to a sly smile in an instant, and you’ll have your camera ready to document every smile, frown, tear and surprise.

If the baby should have older siblings, you’ll want to include a “Siblings Firsts” section. Include photos of when they first met, and a detailed description of the immediate thoughts big brother or sister had about the new arrival. To get these details, make sure you ask them questions. If their responses are a little too candid (such as: I don’t want to have a little brother) save that information for another scrapbook for them to look over when they’re older, you’ll want to avoid hurt feelings in a baby scrapbook.

You can even have pages of baby’s firsts dedicated to particular events or people. Such as baby’s first 4th of July or baby’s first time away from Mom. This last one can feature images taken by the sitter (most likely baby’s grandparents) and what they get up to when mom is away.

But most importantly, you should have fun with the scrapbook, and you will, because it’s all about your child!